


One Big, Happy Family

by jethom113



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childishness, Comfort, F/F, Grocery Shopping, M/M, Minor arguments, Movie Night, Multi, Shopping, Sleepovers, Trans Racetrack Higgins, Walmart, Water Guns, Water slides, employees hate them, horror movies, waterparks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-05 03:18:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13378998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jethom113/pseuds/jethom113
Summary: What happens when a group of boys lives together? Chaos follows.A group of one-shots based off of a Tumbr prompt.





	1. Late-Night Shenanigans

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is only my second fanfiction ever, and I don't love it, but I have to start somewhere right? Anyways, please leave me any questions, comments, or concerns!
> 
>  
> 
> Side note: I imagine Crutchie, Davey, and Jack sharing an apartment with Race and Spot, and the others having an apartment across the hall, but they are rarely actually there. These boys are inseparable.

It was nearly midnight when Jack walked into the kitchen to refill the giant popcorn bowl that was used for every Saturday night movie night. Opening the pantry, he looked around and frowned. Besides some hot sauce and crackers, the shelves were practically empty, so Jack walked into the living room and paused the movie that the gang was all intently watching.

“Hey! What gives?” Shouted Romeo, throwing a handful of Sour Patch Kids at him. “We were watching that, Cowboy!”

“It appears that somebody forgot to do the grocery shopping this week. C’mon boys, this is the reason we have a chore chart! Let’s see… who is it?” Upon looking at it, Jack’s ears turned red, and his eyes widened. “Ya know, this chart thing has its flaws. I mean how is a fella supposed to know it’s his turn?” Crutchie got off the couch and went over to his boyfriend, looking over his shoulder at the chore chart.

“Spot… dishes. Davey… bathrooms. Romeo… vacuuming. And Jack… groceries.” Crutchie giggled, and the others hollered at Jack. He kissed Jack’s reddened cheek and smiled. “Guess this means we need to go grocery shopping.”

“I’ll get a list together, and then we can head out.” Davey stood and headed to the kitchen.

“As entertaining as this sounds, it’s midnight, and Kath and I are falling asleep. I think we’re gonna head out.” Sarah yawned, and she and Katherine gathered their assorted snacks and headed down to their own apartment on the floor below.

After Davey got a list together, the boys all piled in their van. They had all saved up money to buy it, and they shared it equally. The boys had a sign-out sheet and everything. The van was their pride and joy, and it was always clean—at least, their version of clean. Jack drove to the nearest Wal-Mart, and they immediately got out; if anyone else would have been in the parking lot, they would have though it was a clown car. Once inside, they split up into groups.

Jack, Davey, and Crutchie grabbed a cart, and Jack helped Crutchie into it. After he had shown his displeasure at having to use the motor scooters when shopping, the boys decided that Crutchie should sit in the cart instead. This way, he was happy and didn’t slow them down whatsoever. As Jack helped him, Davey handed out the lists that he had made. The three then headed to the dairy aisle and began getting what they needed from there.

While they did that, Albert and Race began arguing over who should be allowed to ride in their cart. As they did this, Spot watched on with his arms crossed as employees began to stare. He only got involved when the argument began to turn physical, and Race shoved Albert. “C’mon boys, there’s no need to fight. The answer is right in front of your noses.”

“Is that so?” Race smirked. “Then who is it?” However, his smirk faded when Spot jumped into the cart.

“It’s me, bitches! Now, come push the King of Brooklyn to the produce section.” Spot wanted to laugh at their expressions. They clearly hadn’t expected this turn of events. Race pouted at him, but grabbed the cart and steered it in the right direction as Albert began reading off the list.

The third group, consisting of Elmer, Specs, and Romeo, had the most coveted of jobs. Wasting no time, Specs got into the cart and both Elmer and Romeo pushed it, racing into the snack section. They began throwing anything they wanted into the cart, completely regarding Davey’s list. Soon, the cart was overflowing with various snacks, and they had run the cart into at least two shelves. After getting some disapproving looks from employees, they decided it was time to move on to a different section of the store. That is how they found themselves in the toy aisle.

Meanwhile, Crutchie was overseeing everything that entered the cart. While both Davey and Jack were good at grocery shopping, when they were put together, their maturity levels hit rock bottom. This is part of the reason Davey makes the lists. Without it, the boys would have spent all their money long ago buying foods that no one would ever eat. No one needs a five-gallon jar of pickles, not even Race. Crutchie was the only one able to keep a level head when it came to shopping with the three boyfriends. After they finished, the men headed to the next section. They filled their cart with what was needed until there was a serious risk of Crutchie being buried alive.

“Should we head up front to the checkout, or should we go see if they have any new movies?” Jack asked his boyfriends, although the answer was obvious. In their apartment, there was a full bookshelf of movies. They went over and began perusing the selections. Soon they were met by Spot, Race, and Albert, with their cart full of anger, radiating off Spot, and fresh produce. “Uh, everything okay Spot?” Jack questioned.

Suddenly, Race and Albert began laughing hysterically, and Spot glared at them. “A worker came up to us, and wanted to know if our little brother in the cart wanted a sticker!” Race said with tears in his eyes.

Spot didn’t find this nearly as funny. “I am clearly a grown-ass man! I have facial hair, my own apartment, and a job! That was completely ridiculous. I’m not even that small.” He continued to grumble as they went on a mission to find Elmer, Specs, and Romeo. It didn’t take very long, as they soon heard singing coming from the toy section. When they got there, they saw Elmer sitting on the ground playing toy drums, Specs playing a Barbie guitar, and Romeo was singing into a karaoke microphone.

At that moment, Albert saw an angry Wal-Mart employee walking over. “Guys, we need to go. Before we get kicked out.”

“Shit, let’s go.” Elmer jumped up and ran with the cart to the front of the store, with the others following him. They checked out and loaded up the van. Before the boys knew it, the clock showed that it was two o’clock in the morning. Once they got back to the apartment complex, eyelids were slipping shut. They gathered the bags that had foods needing frozen or refrigerated and headed upstairs. Once they reached their floor, they put away the food and went to bed. Everyone slept with a smile on his face, having thoroughly enjoyed spending time with one another.


	2. Chapter 2

Once again, it was another Saturday movie night. The boys—plus Katherine and Sarah—gathered around the TV, prepared to have a horror movie marathon. While Kath and Sarah came prepared with their own blanket to share, it appeared that no one else had the same bright idea. Jack and Spot got up and scavenged the apartment for whatever they could find. After searching for thirty minutes, they found only two blankets. This led to all of the boys huddled together on the floor, sharing the two blankets.

Race soon found himself pressed against Spot’s side. Trying to repress a blush, he focused on what movie to watch first. “Okay, we have _Halloween, The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Street,_ and _The Ring_. What should we watch first?” He looked around the room, a nervous look in his eyes. While Race acted fearless 99% of the time, his friends knew that scary movies were one thing that made his skin crawl. However, he was the one who came up with the idea of spending this week’s movie night watching classic horror movies. They figured it had to do with the fact that these were some of Spot’s favorite movies.

“Oh, c’mon seriously? Those are the movies we have for tonight? They’re some of the most overplayed movies in the world, can’t we watch something actually good?” Albert whined to Race.

“You watch your mouth, DaSilva.” Spot growled. “They are classics. And besides, it’s Race’s turn to pick the movies, so shut your mouth and watch them.” He looked at the stack of movies and thought for a moment. “Let’s start with… _The Ring_. It’s not too bad for all you babies.” He got up to put the movie in, and Race almost whined at the loss of contact.

At that moment, Elmer came in with the bowl of popcorn and an armful of snacks. After distributing them, he curled up on the floor between Specs and Albert, and everyone settled down to begin the movie. As the movie progressed, so did Race's regret. He had promised himself that he would not be a chicken during the movie. However, he now found himself hiding his face in his hands, trying to block out the sight of the girl on the television. _Why did I pick this movie?_ he thought to himself. Nonetheless, Race couldn't stop himself from glancing at Spot, who was still lying next to him, and seeing the excitement in his eyes as the movie reached its climax. _That's right, because I'm a lovesick, teenage girl, who is very bad at flirting and other basic interactions with people I like._ As Race hid during _The Ring,_ he missed Spot checking on him every so often, making sure he was still okay. Last time the gang had watched a scary movie, Race didn't let onto his unease. At least, until the lights came back on and they saw the tear tracks down his face and noticed how close to hyperventilating he was. Race hadn't slept for days after watching the movie, and Spot was concerned that history would repeat itself tonight.

Meanwhile, the others were having the times of their lives. Albert kept making comments about how awful the special effects makeup was. "I mean, blood does not have the consistency of _ketchup!_ I was making better fake blood when I was ten!" Elmer and Specs continuously made comments on how bad the acting was, and Katherine was giving a scene-by-scene review to keep Sarah from being too scared by the movie.

Late into the night, or early into the morning (however you want to look at it), the movies were finally over. Not wanting to get up, everyone spread out on the floor and got comfortable. Sarah and Katherine, still on the couch, cuddled together and soon drifted off. One by one, the boys fell asleep until only Race was left awake. He could feel his heart beating quickly in his chest, and he struggled to keep his breathing even. _I can do it. It's only a movie. It's not real._ He told himself this over and over, trying to reason with his thoughts and keep a level head. After struggling with his mind for a few more minutes, Race got up and went to the kitchen for a glass of water.

As he walked back to the living room, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and froze. After a moment, he turned the corner and was met with a black, shadowy figure. His eyes widened, and he was unable to make noise. However, after a second of pure terror, his eyes focused, and he was able to make out Spot's features.

"You okay, Higgins?" Spot whispered, "You seemed a little shaken up, and when I woke up, you weren't there." While Race couldn't see Spot clearly, he could hear the concern in his voice.

"I'll be fine, Spotty, but thanks." Race spot him an appreciative look, and they headed into the living room. 

After lying down even closed than they previously were, Spot cautiously reached out and began rubbing circles on Race's back. This was something his mother used to do for him when he had nightmares, and it always seemed to push away the bad thoughts and put him to sleep. After five minutes, Spot noticed Race's tense muscles slowly relax and felt his breathing even. As Spot's eyes grew heavier, he felt a smile spread across his face. Then, he drifted into the world of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this is completely awful. It's midnight, and I have school tomorrow (ew). However, I didn't want to sleep, thus the creation of this chapter. This is NOT edited because I am trash, and I RARELY edit ANYTHING. Whoops.


	3. Chapter 3

“WHAT?!” Crutchie was shocked. He could not believe what he had just heard. This was impossible. It must be. It _had_ to be.

“Yeah, I’ve never been to a waterpark, either,” Specs shrugged and walked away. Davey gave Crutchie a smirk.

“See? I’m not the _only_ person to never have gone to a waterpark. It just seems… grimy, ya know? They always look filthy, and someone always pees in the pool in movies. I just don’t think getting sick is really worth it.” Davey had his reasons. As a child, he didn’t _love_ being outside. With his fair skin, he tended to burn easily. Davey and Albert often preferred to stay indoors if they could help it. The other boys teased them for it, but they accepted it.

“But still, what kind of childhood doesn’t include a waterpark? It’s the American dream!”

“Crutch, I really don’t thi-“

“You poor, deprived child! How could this have happened to you?” Crutchie’s eyes were wide, and if he looked closely, he thought he could see tears welling in Crutchie’s eyes. When the door to the apartment opened, Crutchie quickly went over to Jack and threw himself at him. “Jackie! You won’t believe what I just learned about David Jacobs. It is truly harrowing, and I myself can hardly believe it!”

“We get it, Crutchie. You love waterparks and believe that everyone else should love them, too.” Race rolled his eyes as he walked by them and flopped on the couch next to Specs.

“We were just talking about our favorite trips, and I brought up the trip we took when we were twelve. And Davey commented that he has never been to a waterpark. And I just can’t believe it! How is that humanly possible, Jack?” Crutchie continued ranting, while Jack chuckled fondly.

“Well then, I think a field trip is in order for all of us.” Jack was proud of himself for coming up with such a clever solution. It wasn’t everyday that he was the one with a way to fix a problem. Usually, he was part of the reason there became a problem in the first place. “It’s been a while since we all went on a family outing, and with how hot it has been lately, I think we could all use a refreshing day out.”

Race and Crutchie immediately began cheering. Meanwhile, Davey was dreading it. But seeing how happy the idea made Crutchie made him put his issues behind him. That smile was worth it.

~~~~~

A week later, the boys all found themselves at the closest waterpark. Elmer and Race had already tackled Albert and began rubbing SPF 75 all over his back and shoulders. Crutchie hadn’t stopped talking about how excited he was since Jack approached the idea, while Davey kept quiet about his disinterest in the trip. 

“I want to go on all of the waterslides!” Crutchie exclaimed. Jack groaned quietly. He knew that this meant he and Dave would also be going on all of the slides. While Crutchie did well with steps, the slides were all quite tall and therefore had many flights of stairs. He would tire out quickly or possibly trip and hurt himself. Today meant that Crutchie would be receiving lots of piggyback rides, but they both thought his radiant smile was absolutely worth it. “It’ll be great. We should go tallest to smallest, that way we don’t miss out if we run out of time. If we take a few breaks at well-placed times, we can also have shorter waiting time in line.” Crutchie clearly had thought out his strategy for the day. 

Jack smiled and kissed his forehead. “Let’s stop at the cabana and drop our stuff off. Then we’ll get sunscreen on and head up to the first slide. Sound good?” After receiving two nods, they headed to their rented cabana. After getting ready, they began the ascent to the tallest waterslide in the park.

While the trio went on slides, Race dragged everyone else to the “fun” part of the park, as he called it. As soon as the reached their destination, Race was gone. However, he didn’t stay lost for long. Moments later, Elmer was hit in the back with a sprinkler. Gasping, he whirled around and saw Race standing there with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Oh, it is on, Higgins. It is so on.” Elmer ran to the nearest water gun. A full-fledged war quickly broke out among the small group. Eventually, they formed alliances with one another and created two teams. Race, Albert, and Specs were fighting against Elmer, Romeo, and Spot. At one point, they had to call a ceasefire as Specs lost his glasses when Elmer sprayed him in the face. These boys were fighting to the death, and there was no telling what would happen next.

Roughly half an hour later, Race and Spot found themselves in a standoff. Their teammates stood off to the side, not daring to intervene. “You wouldn’t _dare,_ Conlon. You wouldn’t fucking da-“ Race was cut off, his face frozen in shock as Spot shot him with the sprinkler. Seconds later, he retaliated, and the two found themselves drenched when they finally reached a truce. “I can’t believe you shot me, Spotty! You actually _shot_ me!”

“Cry me a river, Race. At least we know your aim hasn’t gotten any better,” Spot said as he dried his face off with his towel.

“Oh, hush! You’re just pissed because I got your hair wet.”

“My hair is a form of art! Just like Jack has his paintings, I have my hair. Not that I would expect you to understand that, curly top.” He smirked as Race scowled at him. While Spot spent fifteen minutes on his hair, Race did next to nothing to his own, so it was often a curly mess of blond on his head.

After their little interaction, they headed to the cabana and ran into Davey, who was lounging on a chair and reading. Moments later, Jack and Crutchie came in with food, so the others went and got lunch.

“So, Dave, how are you liking the waterpark?” Jack asked him.

“Honestly, while it still seems gross, it’s not too bad. I imagined something way worse.” With that, Crutchie smiled and sat next to him. He was happy to hear that his boyfriend was enjoying himself.

After everyone ate lunch, they decided that they would spend the rest of the afternoon together. The boys agreed on going to the lazy river and relaxed for a bit. This deemed being the best option, as minutes after getting in the innertubes, Crutchie and Romeo fell asleep. Specs and Davey made sure to stay close and keep an eye on them, but otherwise let them sleep.

Once everyone was ready to leave, and Albert’s shoulders were significantly closer to his hair color than they originally were, they packed into the van and left. Race took off his binder and somehow snuck into Spot’s backpack to steal his hoodie. Once he was in the back, tucked between Albert and Spot, he laid his head on Spot’s shoulder and drifted off.


End file.
